Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)

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Please provide a narrative description responding to the following questions.

As in past years, VOCA subgrantees reported the following issues they believe hinder victims from utilizing the crime victim compensation program:

• many victims of crime choose not to report to law enforcement or do not report within five days, making them ineligible for CVC benefits;
• many victims are undocumented and therefore do not report the crime, in part due to their fear of deportation for themselves or their abuser;
• language barriers;
• often the victim believes that the costs related to the crime will ultimately be placed on the abuser and victims are afraid of making their abuser angry;
• victims spend so much time dealing with their crisis and have a hard time planning for the future including compensation;
• some victims become transient and are difficult, if not impossible, to contact;
• guilt and shame continue to be contributing factors to victims not filing claims for compensation, and
• fear of retaliation from the offender.

Additional issues identified during this reporting period include:

• trauma symptoms seem to be a common barrier to clients decision-making process when attempting to understand or fill out CVC forms. Victims of crime are traumatized, especially at the onset and it is often difficult for them to think of their future needs that may be covered by compensation;
• victims feel they have issues that are of higher priority (custody or restraining order issues) and they do not have the capacity to add another task to their list;
• lack of follow through by the victims when additional information is requested is an issue;
• many victims are unavailable by phone so are difficult to reach to get follow-up information;
• recent immigrants are reluctant to call the government for assistance, and
• many of the victims programs work with are looking for compensation for property damage which is not compensable.

VOCA subgrantees in Wisconsin are active in a variety of ways to coordinate public and private efforts to aid crime victims in their communities. A majority of programs are involved in coordinated community response teams, task forces and I-Teams. Presentations about services are conducted when requested by law enforcement, service groups and other community agencies. Events are done in October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month and April for Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Crime Victims Rights Week. In addition, agencies run radio and newspaper announcements about services.

As specifically stated in subgrantee VOCA Performance Reports examples of such efforts include:

• community professionals trained volunteers on numerous victim related issues;
• increased collaboration has been done with county victim/witness program;
• our program has provided DVD’s and other information packets for training to law enforcement;
• provided law enforcement with plain, gender-neutral lip-balm containers that have program’s contact information which they can give to clients;
• restraining order clinic was developed to explain the restraining order process in a group setting and to promote our services;
• more collaboration with local universities;
• agreements and MOU’s with law enforcement and other referral sources;
• all of the hospitals in one area of the state have signed agreements to refer victims of sexual assault and domestic violence to our program;
• ride alongs with police officers;
• training at law enforcement recruit schools;
• our agency works closely with our community’s Child Advocacy Center to coordinate services for victims of child abuse;
• many efforts have been made by many programs to develop stronger relationships between victim service agencies and the faith community;
• women’s organization donates sweatshirts and pants for replacement clothing project for victims who have a SANE exam done;
• working to use online technology in an effort to coordinate efforts and responses for victims;
• coordination with local health centers that provide services to lower income and no insurance population helps victims of crime learn how to access services, and
• efforts are made to establish relationships with other private, non-profit social service agencies that provide services to crime victims.

As specifically stated in subgrantee performance reports, efforts are underway to serve federal crime victims. These include work done by many agencies to work in collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office with regards to murders and trafficking (especially in Wisconsin vacation areas); programs use the video “After the Robbery” produced by the U.S. Attorney’s Eastern District of Wisconsin for personnel impacted by bank robberies; programs across Wisconsin have developed collaborative relationships with tribes to service federal victims of crimes on reservations; agencies made presentations about services at VA Hospitals and Army bases, and much collaboration is done with FBI Specialists.

Most subgrantees report the usual array of activities designed to strengthen their ability to provide victim services. These include: training to law enforcement and other referral sources; victim service training attended by agency staff; client satisfaction surveys; identifying service gaps; pre and post-tests for therapy groups, and exit interviews. As specifically stated in subgrantee performance reports, efforts during this grant period included:

• staff and volunteers attended officer briefings and participated in ride-alongs to encourage officer’s utilization of program;
• 911 phones given to clients;
• Spanish speaking advocates are used to serve Spanish speaking clients;
• monthly refresher trainings for volunteer advocates;
• this year one agency changed their long-term policy of maintaining their shelter as a secret location to a very public and known location. This has allowed program to engage all segments of community to increase awareness and support for victims;
• providing clients with 911 cell phones for emergencies;
• participation in the Hairdresser Project to empower community beauticians and stylists by increasing their understanding of sexual assault and domestic violence in addition to letting them know about community resources available to victims;
• utilizing social media to let victims know how to access services;
• free transportation for victims to attend support groups;
• delivering of service is enhanced by providing live phone interpretation services to communicate with crime victims who do not speak English;
• outreach effort to inform the community of how to access VOCA funded services during a Mystery Radio Show. The show highlighted complexities of how domestic violence interacts with the presence of family pets. All preparation and air-time was donated;
• distributing program information at meal sites for the elderly so victims of elder abuse are able to learn about VOCA funded services;
• distribution of brochures, posters and pocket sized information cards distributed to various referral sources. Posters in bathrooms at many businesses, hospitals/clinics, dental offices, beauty salons and restaurants with tear-off cards stating how to reach program services;
• agencies attend fairs and health expos in order to increase visibility of services, and
• taxi service vouchers and gas cards distributed to clients who do not have transportation to our program for services, and
• many programs held legal clinics in order to give clients information on filing a restraining order.

On a statewide level OCVS has funded the following activities, through VOCA funds, to improve the delivery of victim services:

• VOCA grants management team continues to monitor VOCA funded services by conducting program visits. The agencies were given an opportunity to discuss issues with the VOCA staff and receive technical assistance. VOCA staff is also able to assist victim services staff with linking them to resources that will enhance their VOCA funded victim services. Twelve program visits were conducted during this grant year, and
• OCVS has sponsored mandatory regional Crime Victim Compensation (CVC)/crime victim rights training for all VOCA funded positions. This has heightened awareness of the CVC and rights programs and improved the delivery of victim services. (This is further discussed in the section regarding use of administrative funds).

VOCA administrative dollars were used to sponsor training around the state. These include:

• VOCA funds were used for scholarships provided for Sexual Assault Advocates to attend Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA) sponsored direct victim services training events held October 1, 2010-September 30, 2011 around Wisconsin;
• Sponsorship of the Wisconsin Victim/Witness Professionals Association spring training event held May 18-20, 2011;
• Sponsorship of the 2011 Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WCADV) Leadership Institute for People of Color on July 28-29, 2011. This institute provided advocates and allies an opportunity to indentify strengths and develop skills needed to work in partnership for social change. This event brought together a broad spectrum of partners and teams, from those that were newly formed to those with established histories of effective, solution-based, collaborative action;
• Sponsorship of the annual “Wisconsin Serving Victims of Crime” conference which uses a multi-disciplinary approach to provide topics relevant for multi-disciplinary practitioners who work with victims of crime. The conference was held August 23-25, 2011 in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. The VOCA Grant Specialist was on the conference planning committee;
• Sponsorship of the 25th Annual National Conference for Parents of Murdered Children which was held August 4-7, 2011 in Milwaukee.

Several notable issues/trends previously reported continue to be of concern to victim service providers including:

• lack of affordable housing, legal services, healthcare and transportation;
• increasing need for shelter;
• homelessness continues to be an issue, part of which is due to mental illness, alcohol and drug usage and lack of finances, and
• growing number of clients with mental health and/or substance abuse issues.

New issues that have emerged:

• increase in victims seeking shelter;
• increase in poverty;
• cuts in funding that various service providers have experienced has impacted victims;
• uses of technology and social media sites as tools for harassment;
• the economic downturn has negatively impacted individuals and families of crime victims. In addition the statewide reduction in state and county resources continues to impact the delivery of victim services and the justice system as a whole. These issues were stated in a majority of reports;
• the reduction in funding or complete loss of some funds for victims services, housing assistance, specialized prosecution and transportation has resulted in changing, reducing or eliminating some services and resources in our community;
• increase in multi-jurisdictional cooperation;
• amount of force and/or level of violence in criminal cases;
• complexity of issues has increased;
• increase in Spanish speaking clients;
• perpetrators are harassing victims by texting or using the Internet;
• increased contact and requests to assist victims involved in cold case investigations, and
• trend has emerged concerning the media’s sensationalizing incidents of reported sexual assault.

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